Lashknife Barrier

Honestly, this isn't that terrible of a card. It's basically mass Absorb 1 that trips. If you've got a meta where you have a lot of little creatures and your opponents use a lot of small mass damage (like Circle of Flame), this might be an okay budget sideboard card. I'm trying to be as nice as I can to this card.

Pros: Creature protection, trips

Cons: Only prevents 1 damage from each source

Rating: 2.5/5

Weave Fate

Hi there Inspiration! How's it going? Is it still worth it for a slightly more expensive yet faster Divination? Nope, not really. I think I speak for most players when I say I'd rather draw those two cards a turn earlier instead of on an opponent's turn. It is cool to see new art on this card though. I thought the art from Return to Ravnica sucked. 

Pros: Instant-speed card draw

Cons: Costs 4

Rating: 2/5

Goblin Skycutter

Earthbind on a stick? Eh... That's not great. The 2 damage is nice, but I don't know if it's worth 2 mana especially since it only hits fliers. I'd much rather run either Arms Dealer for the continual damage output or Branching Bolt for versatility.

Pros: Sack for damage

Cons: Only hits fliers

Rating: 2/5

Terra Ravager

I wish this had either haste or trample. If this connects, it'll hurt but it probably won't connect since it has no evasion. The other issue is that this won't kill anything when it's blocking. Yeah, it'll probably never be able to block because it's attacking, but it's still a slight negative (especially since it doesn't have haste). It's a cool idea, but I think it's a little weak.

Pros: Usually a big swing

Cons: No evasion, 0/4 outside of combat

Rating: 2/5

Scion of Glaciers

This is a good example of a decent, middle-of-the-road Limited uncommon. It doesn't do much when it hits the field, but it can be very versatile, depending on whether you're winning or losing. If you're losing, it can be a wall or be buffed to trade with one of your opponent's big things. If you're winning, it can swing in for a sizable amount of damage with a mana investment. It's also not bad if you're topdecking because it gives you a place to sink that unused mana every turn. However, this card is not that great if you've got cards in hand or if you're trying to win a race. It's a good card in certain situations, but a bad one in others.

Pros: Versatile

Cons: Requires mana for versatility

Rating: 2.5/5

Virtuous Charge

A one-shot anthem? Not bad. The cost is alright and the effect is good. Shame that it's not an Instant though. That would make this a playable card. Unfortunately, it's a subpar card.

Pros: One-shot anthem

Cons: Sorcery

Rating: 2/5

Forked-Branch Garami

Normally, I'd jump all over the chance to beat on Soulshift, as it tended to be a much-overcosted ability for what it did, but this is one of the few creatures that uses the keyword in a valuable way. Think of it like a restrictive double Raise Dead, which is pretty good. You can bring your Crypt Ghast and your Geist of Saint Traft to your hand at the same time, which can easily put you back on track to winning. The down side to that value is that you have to play a 4/4 for 5, which isn't that great for a creature. Also, a double Raise Dead might not be worth 5 mana to some people.

Pros: Double restrictive Raise Dead

Cons: Only on cheap Spirits, 4/4 for 5

Rating: 2.5/5

Task Force

I love cards with this ability since it is absolutely broken with cards like Lancers en-Kor and anything else with a 0-mana activation cost. It's super-tanky because of this, but doesn't have any power, so it's basically a glorified wall. Average at best.

Pros: Super-tanky

Cons: 1 power

Rating:: 2.5/5

Boiling Blood

Forcing a creature can be advantageous. It can either just remove a blocker from your next combat or it can force a creature to enter combat against a much stronger opponent and therefore remove that creature entirely. I'm not so sure it should cost 3 though. The cantrip is nice and definitely adds 1 to the mana cost, but I still don't know if paying 2 to make something swing is worth it. Bloodshed Fever is an enchantment that does it for 1 and Into the Fray is an instant that also does it for 1 mana (and both are somewhat repeatable). The trip saves this from the ranks of horrendous Magic cards. It just doesn't do enough to let this sit at the mediocre cards' table.

Pros: Forces an attack, cantrip

Cons: Costs 3

Rating: 2/5 

Shinewend

It's a flying Allay. It costs double to pull off, but until then you've got a flying chump blocker. If you have some sort of way to put +1/+1 counters on it, it becomes a lot more usable and less "below average". I don't think this card is terrible, but I do see that this card is both limited in scope as well as limited in uses. And being limited in uses is not the big deal here honestly. Look at Wickerbough Elder: it can also only be used once but it is much better than this. It doesn't die when used like this card does and it's also a beatstick unlike this card. However, for its cost and rarity, I can't be too harsh on this thing. 

Pros: Allay on a stick

Cons: 4 mana Allay, dies on use

Rating: 2/5

Living Totem

If curved properly, this is a one-drop 2/3 that gives out a +1/+1 counter. On its own, it's a 3/4 for 4. Like most cards, the value of this card is highly dependent on what's on the field. It ranges from really above average (if you have a lot of creatures) to sub-par (on its own). As such, I'm going to call it "meh".

Pros: Can be cheap, gives out a +1/+1 counter

Cons: Not great on its own

Rating: 2.5/5

Quik Quickies Quickly

It's a 4/2 for 3. That's not bad. If it had first strike, it'd be better.

Pros: 4/2 for 3 when swinging

Cons: Vanilla 4/2 for 3, only 4/2 when swinging

Rating: 2.5/5

A little underpowered cost:mana ratio-wise, but given its ability, I can forgive it. Kind of.

Pros: Exiles things it hits

Cons: 3/3 for 5

Rating: 2/5

Bad. Just bad.

Pros: 4/4 for 4

Cons: Makes your stuff cost more, effectively a vanilla 4/4

Rating: 0.5/5

Amazing blocker. Seriously, this thing is great.

Pros: Flying 1-drop that can regenerate

Cons: 0/1

Rating: 4/5

A conditionally unblockable 3/4 for 6? Yeah... no.

Pros: Conditionally unblockable

Cons: 3/4 for 6

Rating: 0.5/5

Complete waste of paper and ink.

Pros: Scalable lifegain

Cons: 4 for first 3 life, sorcery speed

Rating: 0/5

Midnight Covenant

Shade's are pretty cool, mainly because of their ability to turn one mana into better firebreathing (now hereby known as "shadebreathing"). This is a pretty cool aura because it gives shadebreathing, but it's an aura that just does that one thing. It'd be great in Limited, but it really lacks enough power to be great elsewhere. This is also a case where there's a similar card that does a much better job of doing what this wants to do, in this case it's Shade's Form. Shade's Form is just flat better in all situations, but I'll talk more about that card when it comes up for review.

Pros: Gives shadebreathing

Cons: Just gives shadebreathing

Rating: 2/5

Replacement: Shade's Form

Mirror of Fate

Umm... Comboable? Yeah, that describes this quite nicely. Use with Arc-Slogger to make sure all you have are combo pieces/power cards left in your library. Use with Laboratory Maniac to speed up your win process and leave only combo pieces/power cards left in your library. Manipulate Fate your Beacon of Tomorrows and take infinite turns while beating your opponents down with Keranos, God of Storms. It's a fun card, but somewhat flawed. Exiling your own cards is very risky and unless you have a way to reliably resolve this, it's a huge gamble. Also, since the exiled cards are face-up, your opponents will be able to see you machinations well in advance and may be better equipped to stop you, as opposed to if you just tutored for the combo. Fun, but a big gamble.

Pros: Allows for combo set-up

Cons: Requires combo pieces to be exiled

Rating: 2/5

Volition Reins

Eh... no. I don't really like this card. Yes, it takes any permanent and untaps it, but it costs 6 and a hell of a lot of blue. You know what I'd run instead of this? Take Possession or Blatant Thievery. Take Possession is one more mana, but it's less colour-intensive and can't be countered (although it doesn't untap the permanent, but considering activated abilities can't be activated...) and Blatant Thievery takes something from everyone for one more who's control effect can't be ended with an Allay. This is just subpar for me. It either shouldn't be so colour intensive or it should do more than grab and Twiddle a permanent. Also, Confiscate exists.

Pros: Grabs and Twiddles a permanent

Cons: Very colour-intensive, only takes one thing

Rating: 2/5

Cover of Winter

Honestly, this isn't a terrible card. It can be a really, really expensive and weaker version of Endure or it can be that thing that lets you hold off that token army for a turn or two in order to deal with that player. I'm not saying this card is great, just not as terrible as people think. Are there better ways to prevent damage? Yes, Safe Passage exists. That said however, this isn't bottom of the barrel. It can help against a wall of gribblies and, if necessary, be pumped in order to prevent a larger amount of creature-based damage. Still, it's far from perfect. It's just not far enough to no longer be able to see it.

Pros: Prevents damage to you & your creatures, pumpable

Cons: Snow mana only, only prevents creature-based damage, cumulative upkeep

Rating: 2/5

Quagnoth

I wish more creatures had split second. I don't know why, I just do. This card is basically this original Loxodon Smiter except with a few differences. This thing can't be targeted, but it also doesn't go into play when discarded nor is it very big. I feel that if this was a 5/4 instead of 4/5, it would be much better. Right now, it's a card that's on the bad end of "okay". It's a 4 power creature for 6 that can't be targeted nor countered. That's not bad, but it's not great either.

Pros: Can't be countered or targeted, isn't discarded by opponents

Cons: 4/5 for 6

Rating: 2.5/5

Time Spiral Split Seconders

Angel's Grace

What can I say about this card that hasn't already been said? It's an important part of Ad Nauseam decks and it's just pretty great all around. It's also great against storm decks since they've usually only got one shot in them anyway. The only issue I have is that it doesn't completely stop life loss, so if you have no way to get to 1 life before the end of the turn, you're out of luck. Still, it's a great card.

Pros: Stops you from losing the game

Cons: Doesn't stop life loss

Rating: 5/5

Stonewood Invocation

This is the runt of the litter. +5/+5 and shroud until end of turn is great, but for four, I wish "trample" was also on this card. At common, +5/+5 tends to cost at least 6 for instant-speed (see: Explosive Growth). At rare, similar cards give trample and other such niceties (see: Titanic Ultimatum). Again, I'd like this to have trample instead of shroud. Still, it's an okay combat trick that can't really be countered.

Pros: +5/+5 and shroud at instant-speed

Cons: No evasion

Rating: 2.5/5

Sudden Spoiling

I've talked about this card here. I don't think I need to elaborate on it any more. It's amazing.

Pros: Makes a field useless

Cons: Doesn't affect any tokens on creatures

Rating: 5/5

Trickbind

Stifle's big brother. For double the cost, it really does double the work. Some permanents (like Memnarch) can recover easily from having their first activation countered, but they are stymied if they can't activate for an entire turn. For the price that it's act, you can't really get much better.

Pros: Stops and locks activated/triggered abilities

Cons: Costs 2

Rating: 5/5

Word of Seizing

This is a card that I don't see enough of. Yes, it costs two more than Mark of Mutiny and one more than Ray of Command for what people think is basically the same thing. But, it's not the same thing. Not even close. Say your opponent has spent a while getting his Domri Rade up to 7 loyalty. What would you rather in your hand: this or Mark of Mutiny? Say your opponent just dropped an Akroma's Memorial and you survived. What would you rather: Ray of Command or this? I'm not saying it's amazing (it does cost 5 after all), but it's good enough that it deserves more play than what it gets.

Pros: Steals a permanent for a turn

Cons: Costs 5

Rating: 4/5

Saproling Infestation

As fairly set-specific cards go, this one's pretty good. I mean, it turns those two-for-one cards like Benalish Emissary into three-for-one cards! It also gives you a benefit for when your opponents get two-for-ones (or multiple bonuses for multikicked cards). The big issue with this is that this card doesn't do anything except with kicked spells, which is a fairly small scope in the grand scheme of things. Still, it's an interesting card at least.

Pros: Turns your two-for-one kicked spells into three-for-one

Cons: Works only on kicked spells

Rating: 2.5/5

Tangle Kelp

This isn't a great card, but considering we just had a reprint of Eternity Snare, this is pretty good in comparison. The main advantage of this card is that it only costs 1. It does allow for untaps, but it's only every second turn, which can make a huge difference in a lot of games. It's pretty useless against those utility creatures you want to tap down, but against attackers, it's pretty decent.

Pros: Frosts a creature, costs 1

Cons: Only frosts after attack, useless against utility creatures

Rating: 2.5/5